2009 Columbia Valley Gewürztraminer -- Chateau Ste. Michelle Shopping Cart
$8.99
-- a fan favorite, this Gewürztraminer is such an enjoyable wine with exuberant fruit and clove spice.
TASTING NOTES
“A fan favorite, this Gewürztraminer is such an enjoyable wine with exuberant fruit and clove spice. This is a lush style of Gewürztraminer with a lot of floral character, yet it still maintains the grape’s natural crisp character. A touch of Muscat offers citrus notes and a deeper spice character. Try this wine with Thai food or any cuisine with a little “bite” to it.” -Bob Bertheau, Winemaker
VINTAGE - "A Tale of Two Vintages"
The 2009 growing season was in a word - perfect. The weather was dry, warm with lots of sunshine. We started the season a week late in blooming, but caught up as the perfect ripening weather lasted through September. The weather was not too hot, which allowed Gewürztraminer to retain its natural acidity and fresh fruit character. The “tale of two vintages” has to do with the freeze that many vineyards experienced on the night of October 10th. The good news about this event is that most of our grapes were either already picked or had already reached a good level of maturity. It was at that point where we had to get in the rest of the fruit in short order, which we did. The 2009 whites have lots of fruit forward characters and plenty of natural acid.
VINEYARDS- Selected cool sites in Washington’s Columbia Valley yield bright, aromatic Gewürztraminer fruit.
- A majority of the fruit is specifically from the cooler Yakima Valley, where the extra hang time allows the spiciness of the variety to fully develop.
- Sunny days and cool evening temperatures create ideal conditions for intense aroma and flavor development in the ripening grapes.
- A northerly latitude gives the Columbia Valley roughly two more hours of sunlight daily during the peak-growing season than California, increasing the region’s ability to ripen fruit.
WINEMAKING- Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks for three weeks.
- Cool temperatures were maintained throughout the winemaking process to preserve the wine’s fresh, fruity and spicy aromas.
TECHNICAL DATA- Alcohol: 12.0%
- Total Acidity: .66g /100ml
- pH: 2.96
- Blend: 94% Gewürztraminer, 4% Muscat Canelli, 2% Riesling
FOOD PAIRINGS- Foods:Crab, Asian dishes, chicken
- Herbs:Cilantro, mint
Other products in the category Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine / Columbia Valley:
-
2006 Ethos Merlot --
91 pts Wine Advocate
delivers sweet raspberry and bright black cherry fruit character with elegant, dusty tannins.
-
2008 Muscat Canelli -- a fan favorite in our winery’s retail shop, this wine makes a refreshing aperitif.
-
2008 Viognier -- offers a crisp citrus and ginger finish with just the right amount of body.
-
2006 Malbec -- fruit flavors give way to a caramel and blueberry finish.
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